STRAIGHT-A pupil Gillian Matthew wants to be a lawyer, loves Motherwell FC and enjoys nothing better than curling up with a book.

But the 5ft 11in teenager is leading a glamorous double life.

She has just jetted back from the catwalks of New York and at London Fashion Week, she modelled at top shows with A-list fashionistas such as Victoria Beckham and Donatella Versace in the front row.

In just six months, the 17-year-old has gone from shopping in H&M to posing for Mulberry after modelling agency scouts spotted her on a day out with her mum and dad.

The student, signed to prestigious agency Elite, is now being tipped for the top with the world’s best designers clamouring for her to wear their clothes.

Gillian, of Larkhall, Lanarkshire, said: “I can’t believe how my life has changed, it’s really weird. This is not how I expected my life to turn out at all.

“The last year has been amazing. People always said I could be a model as I’ve always been really tall but, to be honest, I always treated it as a joke. I didn’t think it would ever actually happen.

“I usually spend my weekends watching Motherwell, I have a season ticket. I read a lot, I shop and I drink lots of coffee.”

She admits she’s finding it hard to get her head round the glamorous life ahead of her. She said: “It just doesn’t seem real. But I’d rather have a coffee than champagne any day.

“My dad wouldn’t let me drink anyway.”

Gillian was at Braehead shopping centre near Glasgow with mum Jean and dad David when she was scouted by the Elite model team last May.

And she reached the finals of the Elite Model Look international contest – the biggest modelling competition of its kind, which launched the careers of Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour, Helena Christensen and Gisele Bundchen.

She said: “I worked in Braehead in Hollister but I was on a day off and shopping with my family. The Elite team were holding a Glasgow casting and scouting girls at Braehead shopping centre.

“They approached me and asked if I had ever thought about modelling.

“Mum and dad were a bit apprehensive at first but I decided I wouldn’t get that opportunity again and I may as well go for it.”

A few hours after the agency’s scouts took a Polaroid picture of Gillian, she was walking the catwalk in the middle of Braehead in front of a huge audience.

The snap taken by a scout at Braehead Shopping Centre (Photo: Handout/Elite Model London)

She said: “When they first told us we’d be walking a catwalk that day, I thought they had to be kidding.

“It was the most nerve-racking thing as there was a massive crowd and I was praying there was nobody I knew there.”

At the end of the day, the girls were told they would be contacted by email if they had made it to the semi-final in London.

Gillian said: “I didn’t even tell anybody at first, I kept it a secret for a long time.

“It was only when I got through to the final week in London for the mini boot camp in August that I told my friends. They were pretty shocked.”

Gillian was one of 12 girls to make the UK final – winning her a ticket to the international final in China and a contract with Elite.

She said: “Getting to the final in London was a big moment for me. When they called out my name as the winner I was completely shocked. I had to get up and catwalk again and my head was spinning. I was thinking, what’s going on, is this actually happening?”

The Elite Model Look competition is one of the most prestigious in the world. The agency’s scouts spend a year trawling the globe and searching for the next big models in more than 70 countries.

The top 60 girls travelled to Shanghai in November for the 29th annual Elite Model Look competition – and the top 15 were awarded a contract with Elite Worldwide.

Gillian said: “I was so scared going out to Shanghai. It was the longest I had ever been away from home, we were there almost three weeks.

“In the first two weeks, we only had a half day off – we were doing photo shoots, a boot camp, practicing walking and preparing for the massive final catwalk show.”

Gillian was contestant number 57, representing the UK. She said: “I had a good feeling in Shanghai and felt I could do it, I thought I had a good chance of making the final 15. When I did, it was just amazing.”

Gillian flew home in time for Christmas – and went back to school at Larkhall Academy. She said: “I hadn’t seen my friends in a while so I was excited. When I first saw my friends, I felt they were just staring at me.

“I think they were shocked by everything that had happened.”

Gillian on a shoot (Photo: Handout/Elite Model London)

Gillian has already modelled exclusively for Mulberry at London Fashion Week and is just back from New York.

She said: “I first did London Fashion Week in September, before I flew to Shanghai. I stood right next to Victoria Beckham. I was modelling at the Woolmark competition for up-and-coming designers and she was one of the judges.

“I sang the Spice Girls song Two Become One quietly to myself but I don’t think she heard. It was just bizarre standing right next to her. She was a lot smaller than I imagined.”

Gillian added: “To think I could be working in the same industry as celebrities such as Kate Moss feels unreal. I would love to meet her. My favourite model is Jean Shrimpton, I think she’s amazing.

Willowy Gillian, who is a tiny dress size 6/8, modelled again at this month’s London Fashion Week before jetting out to New York to walk the runways for a string of designers including Custo Barcelona, Simone Rocha and Dion Lee.

She said: “It was my first time in New York and it was pretty cool. But to be honest, I really suck at this whole glamorous model thing.

“I’ve not really met celebrities, it’s not really me. I still buy my clothes from Top Shop and H&M, though I don’t work in Hollister anymore. Modelling pays pretty well. Though, at the moment, I still have to pay my flights to New York and expenses so I don’t feel rich at all. I keep seeing all these gorgeous clothes at fashion shows and I don’t have the money to buy any of them.”

Gillian admits it’s her dream to model for fashion giants Burberry – and she did have a meeting with creative director Christopher Bailley.

She said: “I would love to model for Burberry. I met Christopher and I was pleading with my eyes for him to hire me. I love his clothes.”

But, for now, Gillian’s focusing on her education. She has five unconditional university offers to study law after getting five As in her Highers last year.

She said: “I’m trying to focus on my school work just now. If a big modelling job comes up, I would do it but my education is important. I definitely want to be a lawyer.”

For the moment, Gillian’s happiest hanging out at home and with her friends. She said: “I’m just an ordinary girl who I likes The Beatles and I dress for the weather.”

Elite said: “Gillian’s story is one of remarkable success. The whole team here could not be prouder of Gillian. She has achieved a huge amount in such a short amount of time and we are ecstatic to be part of the journey she’s about to embark upon.”

* The Elite Model Look team will be travelling to Braehead Shopping Centre on May 31 and June 1, searching for this year’s supermodel talent. For more information visit www.elitemodellook.com/uk